70 THE DISEASES OF THE DOG. 



cence of the gastroduodenal mucous membrane which they 

 produce. 



Symptoms. — The animal is at first dull, sleepy, and dis- 

 turbed in his sleep, thirsty, and refuses his food, and expels 

 it when taken, by vomition. Bilious diarrhoea as indicated 

 by dark stools is not unfrequently present, and some slight 

 colic and pain on pressure over the liver may indicate a 

 congestion of that organ. Soon the patient becomes 

 feverish, but the attack is paroxysmal, much worse some- 

 times than at others. The skin becomes yellow and either 

 dry and harsh, or else, as Mayhew accurately expresses it, 

 "rather like a skin which had been well dressed by a 

 furrier than one which was still on a living animal." 

 The mucous membranes, too, are yellow and may become 

 intensely so, and the urine in severe cases becomes so dark 

 as to look, almost red, and be commonly described as 

 " bloody." The bowels now become very torpid, and the 

 small amount of faeces expelled is of light brown or whitish 

 colour. In the later stages the alvine evacuations are 

 mixed with blood because the mucous membrane of the 

 bowel becomes ulcerated. The patient at this stage is 

 nmch " tucked up " in the flank, and the whole of the 

 belly feels hard and tender ; the dog is much reduced in 

 flesh, his coat becomes rough, his gait staggering, and 

 death follows, generally preceded by convulsions. 



Treatment comprises careful nursing with administration 

 of light soups and mucilaginous vegetable mixtures, which 

 latter are especially useful for sheathing the ulcerated or 

 congested gastro-intestinal mucous membrane from the 

 acrid bile poured into the canal in the early stages. Small 

 doses of sulphate of soda or sulphate of magnesia also assist 

 to free the bowel from acrid bile ; starch and laudanum ene- 

 mata are sometimes required. The kidneys may be gently 

 acted on by nitre in small doses ; quinine and magnesia 

 also are of benefit. When the fever runs high a small 

 amount of blood may be extracted and the sweet spirits of 

 nitre given as a febrifuge and sudorific. Fresh, cool, dry 

 air and gentle exercise are most valuable as curative means 

 and to prevent recurrence. 



